Brewers defeat Rays in Game 1 as Misiorowski sets pitch record
Jackson Chourio hit an opposite-field single on the very first pitch of the bottom of the first inning to spark the Milwaukee Brewers to a victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series, La Tribune reported. Neither the Tampa Bay Rays nor the Milwaukee Brewers have ever won the title in the prestigious league, a milestone matched only by the Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners among teams seeking their first World Series victory.
Early Runs and Historic Velocity in Wisconsin
One batter after Chourio’s opening-frame knock, Christian Yelich drove him home with a triple, followed immediately by an RBI single from William Contreras. Tampa Bay cut the lead in the fourth inning when Canadian catcher Liam Hicks grounded into an option play. The Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh inning on another single by Chourio with two outs. Jacob Misiorowski set a World Series record for the fastest pitch, reaching 103.5 miles per hour on his very first offering. That broke the previous mark of 103.2 miles per hour set by Aroldis Chapman with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, according to La Tribune. Misiorowski allowed one run and four hits over five innings, striking out three batters and walking one. Nick Martinez pitched five innings for Tampa Bay, yielding two runs and five hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Trevor Megill secured the save after giving up a run on an option play, ending the game by striking out Jonny DeLuca swinging.
Milwaukee Makes First Fall Classic Appearance
The series marks the first Fall Classic appearance in franchise history for Milwaukee, while Tampa Bay is making its third trip after previous losses in 2008 and 2020, bluewin.ch reported. Milwaukee had 103 wins in the regular season and Tampa Bay had 98 wins. Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday night back in Wisconsin, following the second game of the series. The opening ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Brewers Hall of Fame member Robin Yount.
Familiar Faces on Both Sides
The pennant-winning clubs share notable personnel connections heading into the series. American League Championship Series MVP Freddy Peralta faces his former club after the Brewers traded him prior to reaching free agency, PassionMLB reported. Similarly, National League Championship Series MVP Jake Bauers of the Brewers began his career with the Rays, alongside pitcher Drew Rasmussen, who also started his career in Milwaukee before moving to Tampa Bay. Bill Zito, general manager of the Florida Panthers and a former Brewers clubhouse attendant who grew up in Whitefish Bay, plans to attend the games in Wisconsin, NHL.com reported.
A Historic Matchup Between Title Seekers
The 2026 Fall Classic marks the first World Series meeting between two teams that have never captured the championship since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies triumphed over the Kansas City Royals. Tampa Bay earned its spot in the final by defeating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 to take their series 4-2, while Milwaukee advanced by sweeping the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0.
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